


A Grand Lure

by Teapots_and_Teacups



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Classical Music, Fluff, Friendship, I do not know how to describe music, M/M, Music, Oneshot, Piano, Regis is there for a bit, if you squint it could be more than friends, pianist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-21 02:12:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16567625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teapots_and_Teacups/pseuds/Teapots_and_Teacups
Summary: Prompto loves playing the piano.His fingers itch to play.He'll learn something new, just for Noctis.





	A Grand Lure

**Author's Note:**

> Have an idea that came to me at work.  
> Prom is quite handy and in my own mind, good with his hands.  
> So... Prom plays piano.
> 
> Enjoy.

Prompto loved and hated when he waited for Noctis in the citadel after his Crownsguard training. Ignis had a habit of sending him to the reception room which was home to a sleek grand piano. Not just any grand piano. A Steinway Grand Piano. The crème de la crème. Prompto had taken a few photos of it when the light came in the window just right when he’d first been delicately pushed into the room months ago. But now he just stared longingly at it. His fingers itched to play. The old stand up piano at home was badly out of tune and in need of a professional tune up. The blonde had done his best to keep it in good working order. But he lacked the tools and the know how to fix it. He also lacked the funds. His parents usually paid for it. But they’d not been home in almost two years now. He’d learnt to play to please them as a child. They approved of it more than the gaming and photography. One day it seemed like even that didn’t matter to them any more though. But, it was free entertainment for the most part. And had filled some of the lonely days when he’d had to ration his power consumption to avoid a hefty power bill. 

He wasn’t sure if he loved that piano or hated it.

But he still wanted to play it.

Thankfully it was barely a full minute before Noctis threw open the door and called him.

\---------- 

Between his part-time jobs and Crownsguard training, Prompto was very glad for Ignis keeping him on top of his school work during the final year. For some reason, the Advisor had taken it upon himself to keep Prompto afloat. Probably to stop Noctis’ only friend from looking like a mindless heathen. So as usual, it was two hours of study before they would be allowed to even touch the TV or games consoles that sat in the cabinet beneath it. At least Ignis let them listen to music. Admittedly it was classical music. And Prompto didn’t mind so much. But it was distracting. His brain kept trying to filter out the piano parts to listen to if he didn’t totally focus on what he was doing. He scratched out a sentence he’d messed up and tried to pull his attention from the music.

“Can I have your music notes?” Noctis yawned. 

“Sure, buddy.” Prompto didn’t mind Noctis using his notes. The Prince mainly slept through music class and both Prompto and the teacher let him. The teacher probably more scared of upsetting royalty. Prompto more decided that his best friend could do with the extra 50 minutes of sleep. Ignis did not approve. Clearly the playlist was an attempt to rectify the Prince’s lack of knowledge. The music changed and after a few bars, Prompto recognised it. It was chirpy and filled with staccato moments.

“Really, Specs?” Noctis groaned.

“If you can tell me what it is I will let you have popcorn with your games after dinner.” Ignis offered. Noctis tried to stare down the advisor. He barely lasted 30 seconds before rolling his gaze to Prompto.

“Mozart?” He asked. “Sonata...in G?”

“Almost. In C.” Ignis corrected with raised eyebrows.

“Oh come on. He got most of it.” Noctis protested.

“That he did.” Prompto did not like the look in the advisors eye.

“It was on a test?” Prompto whimpered. It had been. It really had been. Just not a school test. His Grade 5 piano test.

\---------- 

Prompto did not miss how Ignis upped his game with the classical music towards the end of their study sessions from then on. There were plenty of pieces that he didn’t know. He could only hope his ignorance didn’t disappoint. One in particular stuck out to Prompto. It had Noctis dozing off even mid study. Clearly it was helping the eternally tired Prince to relax. Ignis moved to wake his charge, but was stopped by a hand on his arm from Prompto.

“Please... just. Let him enjoy it.” He whispered just as the music shifted in tone for a few moments before returning to it’s previous softness.

“As you wish.”

\----------- 

He couldn’t get the piece out of his head. He’d looked it up on his phone the moment he left Noctis’ apartment. It had connotations of being a lullaby in how it felt at the start. That was probably what sent the Prince off into an impromptu nap. The middle sank into the shadows that just seemed to echo the pain and sorrow that Noctis had suffered in his childhood. And the end was sentimental and heart wrenchingly beautiful. It was perfect. 

\-----------

His fingers ached. He’d chewed his nails with the stress of learning such a complicated piece. He spent his food budget on getting the piano tuned. The extra lunch that Ignis always packed for Noctis saw him through the otherwise nutrient lacking days. Somehow he had to convey three separate voices with only two hands. It took a month to realise that the main voice was carried by his thumbs alone. They were the key. His two thumbs had to act as a single unit. While the rest of his fingers carried a different voice for each hand. The drive to master the piece over rode his desire to eat and sleep.

\---------- 

He found himself in the reception room again. He’d been dismissed from training early. He’d barely had the energy to pull his gun from the armiger. He’d tried to pull _a piano_ from it without realising it. Ignis had been sent for by a disappointed Cor. Now he sat at the beautiful grand piano that haunted his dreams. He ran a finger over the lid. He was early. Noctis wasn’t expecting him for another 10 minutes and he doubted that he’d be allowed to disappear from whatever he was doing. 

Maybe.

Just maybe.

If he played really quietly, no one would hear him.

After nearly two months of practising on the old stand up which was already threatening to go out of tune, he couldn’t take it. Prompto lifted the fallboard with care. It barely made a sound. He took a slow breath as he lay his fingers over the keys. Muscle memory took over. It sounded so different. So light and smooth. He closed his eyes out of habit. Serenity washed over him in the first act. There. There was the sound that had sent Noctis to sleep. As the second act deepened, Prompto could feel his own anxiety about being caught echo in the anxiety he knew Noctis suffered from. Then, the climax back to the safety of the main melody. There were still underlying notes of tension that neither of them would be free from. But it was a comforting return to the lullaby, soothing and healing. Prompto’s fingers lingered over the keys as the final notes echoed through the room. He opened his eyes, smiling at the Grand like it was a pet that had done exactly what he wanted. 

Soft clapping behind him snapped out of his moment of joy. He spun himself around on the stool quickly.

Noctis, Ignis and _god help him_ King Regis were applauding him.

\---------- 

“I see you’ve ordered a new Steinway.” Regis casually mentioned to his son over their weekly Thursday dinner. He’d tried to get his son and heir to appreciate music for far too long.

“I did.”

“For your apartment?” Noctis didn’t miss the teasing note.

“Yeah.”

“Am I to believe you are finally going to let Ignis teach you piano?”

“Uh...”

“Or is this... a gift of sorts?”

“Dad?”

“Yes?”

“Shut up.”

**Author's Note:**

> Ignis' question to Noct  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXIu0MRuIQU  
> Link to Mozart - Sonata in C Major
> 
> What Prompto learns for Noct  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ny5gNCTZpk0  
> Link to Schumann - Romances for Piano Op. 28 No. 2 in F-sharp Major


End file.
